My 7 Links
I was recently tagged as a torchbearer for the Tripbase Blog's "My 7 Links Project", and yes, that is why you are looking at a big, orange 7 above, and not some lovely treat the kids and I whipped up. For those of you who have yet to hear about project, it is described as a way of “uniting bloggers (from all sectors) in a joint endeavor to share lessons learned and create a bank of long but not forgotten blog posts that deserve to see the light of day again”. The way it works is this. A blogger goes back through their archives and chooses 7 posts, or "links" from their past that satisfy the following criteria:
- Most beautiful post
- Most popular post
- Most controversial post
- Most helpful post
- Most "surprisingly successful" post
- Most neglected post
- and finally....the post that makes them most proud
The blogger then chooses 5 other bloggers to do the same, and so on, and so on. This meme has been on the move for some time, where it will end, who knows?
So, without further ado, My 7 Links!
1) My most beautiful post - For me, choosing my most beautiful post was not about which one had the prettiest pictures (though I do like the one below), but rather what was at the heart of the story conveyed. My post on Madeleines gets the nod here because it represented a time when I was just getting to know the girls who would one day become my step-daughters, and our making madeleines together really helped me to secure a place in their hearts. As "Oui, Chef" is largely about cooking with my kids, this one very quickly got to the heart of what we're all about. These lovelies are still among the most requested treats we have around here.
2) My most popular post - I don't know about the rest of you foodbloggers out there, but for me, there is nothing that generates more hits on my site than a post about chocolate! While chocolate is not the only thing that attracts attention here, it is a clear and consistent winner. Of all the posts we've done that focus on chocolate (and there have been gads), the king of the hill is this Chocolate Ice Cream, a well earned distinction if you ask me.
3) My most controversial post - This one took me a while to come up with, because let's face it, this is a food blog focused on sharing family friendly recipes, I'm not big on controversy here. There was one post I recall however, that really pissed off a few of my Southern friends, do you remember which one that was? It was my post on Daniel Boulud's Chili. It seems that just the idea of a French chef making a delicious chili was more than some of my Texan readers could stomach, and they weren't shy about telling me either.
4) My most helpful post - I'm fairly certain that my most helpful post was the one I wrote about how to make Thomas Kellers' Quiche. The recipes I posted, for his quiche lorraine and florentine were quite ambitious, and the dialogue that sprang up around that post with thoughtful comments, tips and stories of success (and failure) provided benefits not just to my readers, but to me as well. FYI - if you're looking for a project and love quiche, these will be the best you'll ever make.
5) My post which was surprisingly successful - Hands down winner here was my post for how to make homemade Marshmallows. I never would have thought it, but I guess the idea of making your own marshmallows had not occured to many people, and those that tried it, loved them. They are really quite easy to make, and are a bit of a novelty. If you haven't already, you should give them a try.
6) My post that didn't get much attention - For this link, I automatically discounted posts that were written at the very beginning of my time here, because when you only have five regular readers, nothing gets much attention. I was fairly well convinced when writing it, that my post on Granola would be a hit, but it wasn't to be. Not only did I think the post was pretty funny (I dare you not to laugh at least once when reading it), but the recipe is so tasty, and granola is so versatile, that I thought it would become a fast favorite. Must have been a blue moon in the sky when I posted this one.
7) The post I am most proud of was one that I was challenged to write by Jessica over at her blog, Sodium Girl. You see, Jessica is actually a no-sodium girl and a while back she challenged a bunch of bloggers to take recipes they loved and to recreate them to be sodium free. Now anyone who has spent any amount of time here at all knows that I am the last guy you look to for sodium or fat free cooking, and so it was with a great deal of pride that I delivered this dish to Jessica, who thought it was FAB.
So....there you have it, my 7 Link trip down memory lane.
Now it is my turn to pass the torch. The following fabulous bloggers are my five choices to carry forth the 7 Links Project. Check them out, you'll love them, and learn alot from their terrific blogs.
Stacey at Stacey Snacks
Devaki at Weave a Thousand Flavors
Jessica and Jonathan at Bite Sized
Ozoz at Kitchen Butterfly
Jessica at Sodiumgirl
My thanks again to Amelia, and also to the intrepid bloggers listed above. I can't wait to read all of their 7 links....stay tuned.
Cheers - Steve
"Oui, Chef" exists as an extension of my efforts to teach my kids a few things about cooking, and how their food choices over time effect not only their own health, but that of our local food communities and our planet at large. By sharing some of our cooking experiences, I hope to inspire other families to start spending more time together in the kitchen, passing on established familial food traditions, and starting some new ones. 
